


The Call

by ajfessler



Series: Something of Worth [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Ficlet, Prequel, Something of Worth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 16:11:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11695248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajfessler/pseuds/ajfessler
Summary: Phone calls in the middle of the night never bode well.





	1. The Call pt1

**Author's Note:**

> A little something for the Something of Worth Universe. I am working on this, I promise. Just nothing new for The Piper's Price just yet. I have several more of these little ficlets that I'll get up eventually as I'm knocking out issues with As It Turns Out and The Piper's Price. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -Aj

The call came in at precisely two thirty in the morning local time. Phil rolled out of his bunk and grabbed the handset before he was even conscious of doing it. The list of people who had the number to call his direct line was short. And out of that list, the only person who would call in the middle of the night was Stark. 

Phil knew it wasn't malicious, Tony didn't keep regular hours and frequently locked himself in his windowless workshops losing track of time. It was just one of the many idiosyncrasies of dealing with the genius level intellect. 

His "What?" was shorter than Phil would have liked but he'd just gotten to sleep an hour before after spending three days walking Skye through a tricky piece of infiltration work. His patience was a little thin for random phone calls about nothing. Phil mentally backtracked. Stark never called on a whim or without valid reasons. 

"Is your team in a position where you could extract Laura Barton and her children?"

Blinking awake, he frowned. If Phil hadn't been a hundred percent confident that it was Tony Stark calling he wouldn't have recognized the voice on the other end of the line. It was distorted oddly; as if Tony was calling from somewhere other than one of his labs. Phil was more aware now; he could hear noises in the background that sounded like cars passing. Frown deepening, Phil asked, "What's going on?" 

There was a sigh before Stark said, "I don't have the time to give details. Just... I was working on mitigating circumstances, and Rogers fucked everything up. Now, the status quo has been botched. Can you get to Laura?" 

Phil wanted more information than that, but there was a nagging feeling that whatever Tony had been working on had just blown up in his face, and the genius needed support immediately. Nodding, Phil pulled up their flight plan. They were over the Atlantic ocean headed towards American soil for a restock in Kansas. They could re-route to do a fly over without much issue. He would check the depot locations that would have what they needed to see if they could re-route entirely. Logistics would kill him, but that gut feeling he had learned to trust was all but yelling at him. So Phil said, "We can get there in four hours. We're over the Atlantic right now." 

This time the sigh was in relief before Tony said, "Good, that's good. I doubt Ross has noticed that Barton's left the farm. It should be enough time. I'll call her and let her know to expect you at first light and to be ready." 

Phil nodded again and warned, "I'm going to need more explanation than that, you know that right Stark?" 

A humorless laugh was his only response before a dial tone announced that Tony was no longer on the line. Setting his receiver back in the cradle, Phil frowned again before pulling on his pants. His long week suddenly got a little longer.


	2. The Call pt2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura's middle of the night call.

The sky was just starting to blush pink when the phone rang. Laura groaned and threw her arm out to swat her husband. Pre-dawn phone calls were his responsibility. Finding cold sheets beside her, Laura frowned. A feeling of dread sliced through her. Raising her head, Laura glanced around their room. Nothing was out of place. 

The phone rang again. 

If Clint were in the house, the phone never would have been permitted to ring a second time. He was always good about catching the phone, in an attempt to make sure it didn't wake the kids. She tumbled up and out of bed, throwing her dressing gown on as she charged out of the room and down to the kitchen. Biting her lip, Laura picked up the phone knowing that nothing would be the same as soon as it was in her hand. 

“Yes?”

There was a sigh from the other end as Tony Stark’s voice said, “Laura, I’m so sorry. I need you to pack up the kids and be ready to leave. Coulson’s on his way. He’ll get you somewhere safe I promise.” 

Somehow she wasn’t surprised to hear his voice. Releasing the breath she had been holding Laura asked, plans already forming in her head as to what and how she would get everything together. “What happened?” 

A humorless laugh trickled down the line before Tony explained, voice bitter, “Steve fucking Rogers. Barton has gone to join the merry band of outlaws, and now you’re all in danger.” 

Shockingly enough, Laura wasn’t surprised that Tony knew Clint had left before she did. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Laura listened as he continued, “You know I’d never gamble with your lives, but I put stock in something I thought was solid. Apparently, I got that wrong, and I’m not going to wait around to see if I got anything else wrong either. Things are bad now, and it’s just going to get worse, but I refuse to let you and the kids get used as part of a pissing contest that I’m going to lose.”

Laura shuddered suddenly terrified. She knew Tony had his fingers in some dangerous situations and a lot of things that could end poorly if they went belly up. Laura couldn't imagine that any of that would affect her or the kids though. For a breath, she wanted to be mad at him, wanted to be furious. Her good sense kicked in though and reminded her that he’d called and secured a way to keep them safe when things got out of hand. Taking a deep breath, Laura nodded and told him, “Alright Tony. We’ll be ready. You call me though when everything over to let me know you’re okay. Got it?” 

There was a sigh that made it through the phone before she heard him acquiesce, “Okay, alright. I’ll make sure that happens. One way or another.” 

There was a click, and the sudden sound of the dial tone startled her. Laura set the handset back in the cradle gently. Right, time to move. There were things to do, children to pack and an agent of SHIELD to interrogate on what was going on. She’d get to the bottom of this, and when she did that husband of hers would have hell to pay.


End file.
